Don’t be afraid of a new life!

“And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine will burst the wineskins and be spilled and the wineskins will be ruined. But new wine must be put in to new wineskins and both are preserved. And no one, having drunk old wine, immediately desires new; for he says, ‘The old is better’” (Luke 5: 37-39.)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

In the ancient world, skins were used to store and carry liquids. When an animal was slaughtered the stomach and the bladder were taken out and fashioned in to pliable liquid holders. The skins would dry out and become rigid. When these skins were used to hold wine, they needed to be flexible because as the wine fermented it would expand, and if the wineskin was not flexible, it would break. No one would take unfermented (new) wine and put it in to an old wineskin, but instead they would make sure to put it in to a newly fashioned skin. This is an illustration was used to show the incompatibility between the ‘old covenant’ and the ‘new covenant.’ The ‘old covenant’ (Old Testament) and ‘new covenant’ (New Testament) were two different contracts between God and man. In the Old Testament, gave guidelines for the removal of sin; everyone had to sacrifice animals to receive forgiveness from God (this was tedious and time consuming and was a burden on the people.) This covenant began with Abraham (approximately 2000 years before Christ); God promised him that through his descendents a permanent solution would be provided in the form of the messiah (Jesus Christ: approximately 33 A.D.) Jesus was presenting himself as the solution, or the promised one, and with him came a completely new message; one that should have been accepted readily, but was rejected outright by the religious leaders. Many of them had gotten so used to sacrificing animals (the old way), that even after Christ was crucified they still refused to accept his blood for the forgiveness of their sins (the new way.) In the upper room at the last supper Jesus made a new agreement with mankind; he took a cup of wine and said, “Drink from it, all of you. For this is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the forgiveness of sins.” God’s provision would come in the form of the blood that he shed on the cross. 2000 years had passed, and God had finally fulfilled his promise the day of the crucifixion. The majority of the Jewish people rejected this sacrifice. He spoke of those who rejected him when he said, “And no one, having drunk old wine, immediately desires new; for he says, ‘The old is better.’”

As a newborn Christian I very much enjoyed listening to secular music. I liked heavy metal and rap; it was usually filled with fowl language and ugly beats. I decided to move forward and listen only to worship music, which was uplifting, and clean, and edifying to my mind and spirit. My appetite for the old music was strong, and at first the new music wasn’t appealing to me. Slowly I began to enjoy the new music. Soon I was singing along with the tunes. Occasionally I will hear an old song and it no longer appealing to me; in fact it repulses me. God has made similar changes in every area of my life. He has healed me, and made life new, and fulfilling, and completely different.

Today, many people are incapable of receiving Jesus Christ because they are afraid of the changes that will occur in their lives. The religious leaders denied Christ because they were afraid; are you afraid today? Are you afraid of letting go of the old life? Don’t be frightened, accept the Lord, partake in the cup he has asked you to drink of. Have you put your faith in Christ? Have you allowed him in to your life and in to your heart? If you have never accepted him and his sacrifice, I want to give you that opportunity now. What you are about to read is a prayer of acceptance? Take a moment to think about what this commitment means…You are turning away from all that this world has taught, and you are making a commitment to listen to Jesus Christ; you are committing to doing all that he has taught you to do. You will be a member of the body of Christ, and you will need to find a local church and begin to attend that church. You will need to make prayer a daily habit. You will also need to get a bible and begin reading it daily. Your first mission will be to tell someone else about your decision….Take another moment to consider the new life that awaits you……………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..If you still wish to accept God’s promise and His Son, and are willing to go forward, then let’s begin….What you are about to read, read out loud, or within your own heart, but mean what you read.

“Lord Heavenly Father, I’m sorry for all of the things that I have done in my past; for the people I’ve harmed and for all of the times that I have sinned against you. I don’t deserve your love Father. I come before you now and I want to receive the Holy Spirit, and I believe that Jesus Christ died for my sins, and that all the things that I have done have been forgiven because he has made me clean. I ask you to come in to my heart, and to come in to my life now and to guide me and direct me in all that I do. I give you my whole heart, and my whole life, right now. I love you Father, I thank you, and I ask and I pray all of these things in Jesus Christ’s name, amen.” If you prayed that prayer, you have an eternal life with God, in a kingdom that will never end. God bless you all.